Don't Cry Over Phở

Chapter 1: The Horrors of Piano

A heavenly aroma awoke my senses and I started to wake out of a daze. My eyes fluttered a bit and my nose tingled. Mmm something was cooking. I snuggled my face into my pillow. As much as I was tempted to jump out of bed and run into the kitchen, my body did not move an inch as I was way too comfortable. Suddenly my cozy comforter was snatched off of me and my eyes snapped open in a jolt when the unexpected coldness engulfed me.

"What-" I started.

"Liên wake up right now!" screeched a familiar voice. I sighed and rolled over, covering my face with my pillow and internally screaming.

"You always so lazy. All you do is sleep, sleep, sleep.  No work. Just sleep. Hurry up," my impatient mother grumbled as she started rummaging around my room loudly. "Why is your room so messy? I told you to clean it!!" She kicked aside a pile of dirty laundry I left on the floor. She then left as quickly as she came.

I stood up, annoyed and dragged myself to the bathroom. I blinked at the pale-faced girl in the mirror with long dark brown hair that hung in messy tangles. It was an absolute tornado on my head and the pink mark indented in my cheek indicated my intense love for lying in bed. As I was brushing my teeth, my phone dinged with the familiar text tone. I glanced down at it.

Hey do u want to hang out today?
– Hailey

I smiled and excitedly typed back a "sure!" Hailey had been one of my good friends since preschool and had been attending the same schools as me ever since. After dressing in a casual hoodie and shorts, I approached the kitchen.  The familiar loud Vietnamese music was blaring as my mother hummed while washing the dishes. Ah typical Sunday mornings in a Vietnamese household. I opened the refrigerator and grabbed a banana. Not the best breakfast, but it'll do.

"Mẹ, can I hang out with Hailey today?" I asked hopefully. I had been lodged inside my house for weeks and I could hardly remember the last time I went out. Even though I was an absolute couch potato, potatoes needed some sunshine too, you know?

Without looking at me, my mother continued washing the dishes and said, "Liên you have piano practice today remember? After breakfast, start practicing."

Suddenly I felt frustrated and angry. "Mẹ, I've been staying in this house for weeks! I haven't done anything fun in a long time. All you do is make me work," I protested. I felt so frustrated. I have missed countless of outings with my friends so I could study and play the piano like my parents wanted.

"No. You will practice piano and that's it. Your father and I work very hard at our restaurant so the least you can do is appreciate those expensive piano lessons we paid for," my mom said firmly. Apparently the pleading in my voice did nothing to sway her.

My parents owned a phở restaurant called Backyard Phở that they opened a year after I was born. It was quite popular and since I refused to work there, my parents told me it was either that or piano. Although both sounded like a nightmare, I chose piano. That didn't stop me from constantly begging my parents to let me quit piano though. Sadly, my mother was basically a brick wall when it came to emotions.

Feeling defeated, I took out my phone and texted Hailey.

Hey, I'm sorry, but I can't actually hang out today. I have piano practice. Maybe some other time?

Staring at the screen, my words were familiar to me as I've sent that type of message at least a hundred times. My friends probably think I never want to hang out with them, I thought glumly.

I took out my worn piano book and took my usual place on the piano bench. I played the songs from the book dully as I basically memorized each song from playing them so many times. I knew all the songs by heart.

I dragged my fingers across the keys. My heart was never into it when I played no matter how hard I tried. Piano didn't really bring me joy. It was simply a skill I acquired to please my parents. I'd much rather be watching Korean dramas or be hanging out with Hailey.

After I finished my songs, I spotted my dad in the corner of my eye leaning against the wall.

"You play well. You know Aunt Trinh was talking about how impressed she was when you played at her wedding," my dad smiled. He walked over to me and handed me a book. I slowly took it, curious about what it was.

"You've mastered your book already, so I'm giving you a new one. It's even more challenging and has even greater songs! Now you can practice for longer," my dad said proudly.

I smiled half-heartedly, the smile not quite reaching my eyes. If only they knew how much I hated playing piano.

"Um thanks I guess Ba," I mumbled. My dad didn't notice my sudden glumness and smiled as he walked away. I chucked the new piano book on the table and checked my phone.

There was a new Story update from Hailey on Snapchat and I pressed it to view it. It was a selfie of her and a couple of other friends I recognized from school. The caption read, "having fun with my girlies <3". Up until this moment, I've never felt so lonely.